USB ports have long been the most widely used mechanism or connecting peripheral devices to computers. The prevalence has grown beyond their use in computer hardware and now extends to nearly all realms of electronics where an interface for data or power transfer is required. Some examples of common uses of USB connections are in cell phone chargers and connections for use with small electronic devices.
As small computers and electronic devices continue to profligate, their inevitable miniaturization has lead to certain devices being less than optimally suited to utilize USB connectors for data or power transfer on such devices. Their small size (e.g. credit card sized data storage devices, etc.) prevent the use of a conventional USB port within the internal housing of the device in question; that is the profile of the device in question may be less than the size of the mechanical interface of the USB connector. As a result, many devices are forced to either limit their profile so as to be able to continue to use the USB connector internally, or add ungainly and larger profile protrusions eternal to the otherwise slimmed down device so as to provide for the USB connection port. For example, a PRIOR ART device 1000 is depicted in PRIOR ART FIGS. 1-3. Here, device 1000 may be a cell phone, an electronic data storage device, a camera, etc. Due to its thin profile 1300, device 1000 is provided with a relatively oversized USB receiver port (female) 1100, so as to be able to accommodate the USB connector(male) 1500. As can be seen, due to the slim profile 1300 of the device 1000, the port housing 1200 is required to take the form of fairly significant protrusions extending above the surfaces 1210 and 1220 of the device 1000 (bottom protrusion 1220 is hidden from view in PRIOR ART FIG. 1). The resulting protrusions are not only esthetically disconcerting, but also add unwanted bulk to the device profile 1300 which may make the device 1000 more difficult to handle and store, as well as creating additional surface area that may be readily caught or hung up on pockets, protective sleeves, etc.
Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to overcoming these issues and providing slim or other small devices with USB port configurations that include removable or retractable covers that when in an extended state, cover and protect the USB port, and when in a retracted state allow access and engagement of the port by other conventionally sized USB equipped connectors or devices regardless of their relative size.